Napolitano Remains President of Italy

Giorgio Napolitano is still the president of Italy, the first head of state in the country’s history to receive a second mandate. He was elected in the sixth round of voting with the support of the Democratic Party (PD), People of Freedom (PDL), Civic Choice (SC) and Northern League. Mr Napolitano, 87, had said repeatedly that he had no inclination to serve another seven-year term but the rush of events over the past few days – the failure of the two distinct political strategies that led the PD to back first Franco Marini and then Romano Prodi – convinced the outgoing president to change his mind. After a busy morning of talks with leaders of the parties that later voted for him, just after lunch Mr Napolitano consented to stand. “I am available. I cannot step aside. But now what is needed is a collective assumption of responsibility”, he observed in a note. The green light from the outgoing president meant that the next round of voting – the sixth – was plain sailing, as Mr Napolitano coasted home with 738 votes. Stefano Rodotà, the candidate of Beppe Grillo’s Five Star MoVement (M5S), obtained 217 votes, considerably more than the M5S’s 162 parliamentarians. Outside the Chamber of Deputies, Piazza Montecitorio teemed with M5S supporters and sympathisers chanting protests at the “coup” orchestrated by the main political parties over Mr Napolitano’s candidature. Beppe Grillo headed back to Rome, apparently intent on widening the scope of protest demonstrations.